The tapes and decks used on the show are U-Matic (aka 3/4") format, which, in the late '90s, would have been quite outdated. The standard they would have likely used at the time would have been Betacam. The U-Matic equipment, which looks very much alike the Betacam equipment, would have been available far more cheaply than Betacam gear, especially for use as a prop.